- Title: ITALY: MTV EUROPEAN MUSIC AWARDS TAKE PLACE IN ROME
- Date: 19th November 2004
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (NOVEMBER 18 2004) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) UNKNOWN BAND BEING INTERVIEWED
- Embargoed: 4th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVAE48A08NTOAX3X5IEWHXTG0O8G
- Story Text: Hip-hop duo OutKast and R&B sensation Usher shared top honours on Thursday (November 18), scooping a combined five prizes at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome which was broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide.
OutKast stars Andre 3000 and Big Boi, whose Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the 2004 Grammy for album of the year, walked away with best group, best song and best video awards.
The smooth-singing Usher grabbed best male artist and best album for Confessions less than a week after dominating the American Music Awards.
"Highlight of the evening was Naiomi Campbell presenting me with best male award, other highlight was the performance, it was the first time we (Alicia Keys) have performed internationally", said Usher, who turned out in a pin-stripe suit with a red carnation in his buttonhole.
Music fans across Europe chose the winners by voting online and with mobile phones, although ironically American musicians swept the awards, claiming all of the main prizes.
Britney Spears won best female artist, The Black Eyed Peas won best pop and Linkin Park won best rock, while Alicia Keys took home best R&B and D12 secured best hip hop.
Rap star Eminem kicked off the ceremony with the rat-a-tat of machine guns and whirring of helicopters as he performed his new politicised single "Mosh" in front of a tank on stage.
Children in fatigues marched by while the 32-year-old rapper belted out the song that takes U.S. President George W. Bush to task and includes lyrics such as: "Strap him with an AK-47/ Let him go fight his own war/ Let him impress Daddy that way."
Gwen Stefani, frontwoman of top-selling U.S. band No Doubt, also made waves with her performance of "What You Waiting For?"
as a kind of Alice in Wonderland in silver platform shoes.
The mega-event was put on for 6,000 music fans at the racetracks on the outskirts of Rome. MTV hosted a simultaneous concert at the Colosseum in the heart of the capital. Some 200,000 people crowded into the wide avenue facing the ancient Roman stadium to get a glimpse of Anastacia and ageing goth rockers The Cure.
The entertainment wasn't without its controversy, including protests by some politicians who said they feared the noise of the amplified music at the Colosseum could harm the 2,000-year-old monument.
Earlier in the evening, MTV awarded its "Free Your Mind"
humanitarian prize to La Strada, an organisation dedicated to the fight against the trafficking of women and sexual slavery. In a bid to heighten awareness about a business that exploits some 500,000 women and girls in Europe alone every year, MTV said it was also launching a television awareness campaign that would run through 2005. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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